VAST

VAST is a livestream science-fiction RPG series from the mind of phenomenal writer Jackson Lanzing, exclusively on Geek & Sundry Alpha. Set in an original sci-fi universe, the first season of VAST follows not one but two ships: the Pac-Ha Peacekeep vessel Avalon and the Screaming Valor, a warship of the infamous Brightest Eye. VAST alternates between the two crews each week, punctuating this parallel storytelling with “unification” episodes that bring the crews of both ships together.

Jackson runs the creative on VAST like a TV writers’ room, and I’m fortunate enough to be a staff writer on the show. Episodes of VAST aren’t scripted like an episode of traditional television; as with all tabletop roleplaying games, the cast of VAST improv their own dialogue on the fly, in response to situations that which are as fresh to them as they are to the audience. So rather than writing traditional scripts, VAST writers are tasked with producing RPG modules for Jackson to DM live every Monday night when the show airs. It’s an exciting format, a rare example of a series in which the cast and even the creators don’t necessarily know what’s coming. We writers set the tent poles, but our best-laid plans can be foiled or enhanced based on the agency of the players and the roll of a 10-sided die.